As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
External portable optical disk drives (ODD) are available for interfacing with information handling systems using a connection cable that is used to removeably and temporarily connect the host information handling system to the portable drive (e.g., via universal serial bus “USB” or external serial ATA “eSATA” interfaces). Some of such external optical drives ship to an end user or customer with a detachable and removable connection cable as part of the accessories for the drive. In other cases, such drives are provided with a fixed (i.e., non-detachable) and externally located connection cable attached to and hanging from the enclosure of the ODD. The detachable connection cable option may require that the end user carry the cable in a separate and different storage package from the drive, and there is a risk that the end customer will lose the cable. For the fixed cable option, the end customer may experience difficulty keeping the connection cable within the storage package for the portable optical drive.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded underside view of a prior art portable ODD 190 having an inner chassis 100 that meets the Small Form Factor Committee “SFF-8552 Specification for Form Factor of 5¼″, 9.5 mm and 12.7 mm Height Optical Drives.” Portable ODD inner chassis 100 includes a electronics section 116 that contains electronic components (including motor) of the drive and an disk receiving section 118 that includes a bay configured for receiving outer dimensions of an optical disk. As shown, disk receiving section 118 extends outward from and beyond the outer periphery of electronics section 116 so as to form a cut-out section 102 of reduced thickness in the underside 115 of inner chassis 100. The outwardly-extending portion of disk receiving section 118 extends backwards from front surface 110 of inner chassis as shown toward back surface 108 of inner chassis structure 100, and terminates with a backwardly angled profile section 112 as shown. The inner chassis 100 of ODD 190 is configured to be received between lower drive enclosure component 106 and upper drive enclosure component 105 that are placed to surround the inner chassis 100 during normal drive operations. When so assembled, an empty space is formed between the inside of lower drive enclosure component 106 and the cut-out section 102. As shown, a connector port 120 is provided in back surface 108 of the inner chassis 100 for insertion of a detachable connection cable for interconnection with an information handling system.